Witchcraft
Witchcraft is a practice of magic used by Witches that encompasses many different types of activities including astrology, divination, spell casting and spirit communication. It includes the practices of many cultures, nations and religions as well as many books and writings from ancient times. Depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems, such as Shamanism, Voodoo, Santería, Wicca, or any number of other magical practices from countries and cultures all around the world. While most witches appear as kind and selfless humans who use their powers to maintain balance within the world, it has been proven by that some witches are independent thinkers who may go against the balance of Nature by practicing their powers for dark and sinister deeds. The origin of witchcraft remains unknown, however, it is known that witches have existed for many centuries passing down their knowledge and skills through generations of family lines. Contrary to popular belief, witches do not receive their powers from demons, nor do they worship the Devil. Instead, witches consider themselves "the Servants of Nature," as they make it their duty to maintain balance within the world. Different Types Of Magic Ancestral Magic Ancestral Magic is an extremely powerful form of witchcraft that is commonly practiced by the Nine Covens of New Orleans. Similar to Spirit Magic, this form of sorcery draws its energy from the power of ancestral witches who have been consecrated on New Orleans soil. This power can only be harnessed within the boundaries of New Orleans, meaning that should the witch abandon the area, their power will diminish and will be forced to utilize other forms of magic. In addition to this, should a witch abuse the power that has been given to them by the Ancestors, the spirits can repeal this power from any witch in New Orleans, including the Regent. Since the release of the Ancestors from the Ancestral Well, Ancestral Magic is extinct from New Orleans. Dark Magic Dark Magic (also coined "Black Magic") is a powerful form of sorcery that draws on malevolent powers and may be used for negative purposes (e.g. to cause destruction or misfortune, to injure or kill, or for the profit of oneself rather than for the benefit of others). In popular usage, the term "Dark Magic" is often used to describe any form of sorcery that is used against the Balance of Nature. Expression Expression is an extremely powerful form of sorcery that draws on dark energy that is so malicious, it would supposedly demolish the world if it were ever called into existence. The details and history of expression remain unknown, however, the forces of expression are considered so powerful that many witches discredit it as magic, for it expands beyond the limitations of both ancient and modern witchcraft. Sacrificial Magic Sacrificial Magic can be a powerful form of sorcery, though is highly dependent upon the ritualistic sacrifices of natural and supernatural beings. Similar to Expression, this form of sorcery can draw upon the energy, in various forms, from any supernatural creature that is sacrificed. Spirit Magic Spirit Magic was a very powerful form of sorcery that drew its power from the Spirits who resided on the Other Side. Unlike other forms of magic, with the exception of Ancestral Magic, Spirit Magic could only be used how the Spirits saw fit and if a witch abused the power that is bestowed upon them, the Spirits would break the connection between themselves and the witch, preventing them from further harnessing their power. Since the collapse of the Other Side, Spirit Magic may have become extinct. However, it's been shown that witch spirits that have found peace in the afterlife retain their ability to perform magic, though it is currently unknown if living witches can call upon these spirits for additional aid. Traditional Magic Traditional Magic is one of the oldest and purest forms of sorcery inherent to the Earth and the forces of Nature. Traditional Magic is undoubtedly the most popular form of witchcraft known-to-man, however it is also the most exhausting. This is mainly due to the fact whenever a witch uses this power they must exert their own energy, causing them to experience symptoms of dizziness, fatigue, and minor nosebleeds. Sharon Bennett explained the limits of this power to her son, Omarion Bennett, saying that if she pushed too hard, it would push back. Traveler Magic Traveler Magic is a form of sorcery that is strictly practiced by a subculture of witches known as the Travelers. This form of sorcery specializes in spirit possession and its spells are performed in a language different from all other forms of witchcraft. Traveler Magic is highly dependent upon the magic of the Traveler along with their connection to other Travelers. Only by joining together, in large gatherings, are Travelers able to perform powerful feats of magic. Without access to the magic of other Travelers, their power is considerably weak. Known Magical Practices Blood Magic Blood Magic is a magical practice that refers to the mystical properties found in non-human blood. Blood from different supernatural species possess different uses with those most notably from aDoppelgänger and can be seen used by witches to interconnect them with their rituals and spells to draw on their unique properties. Elemental Magic Elemental Magic is a magical practice that involves the utilization of the four alchemical elements: Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. A witch with enough magical power can interconnect Elemental Magic within their rituals and spells to draw on their unique properties. Hoodoo Hoodoo is a magical practice that mixes occult elements of African, European, and Native American witchcraft along with some Christian mythology. Contrary to Voodoo, Hoodoo is not a religion, but rather an eclectic practice of witchcraft that is strongly based in herbal knowledge and can be used negatively or positively. Voodoo Voodoo is a very old magical practice, that is also a religion, used by a number of witches. Voodoo is described as a set of spiritual folkways which originated from the traditions of the African diaspora. It is a cultural form of the Afro-American religions which developed within the French, Spanish and Creole population of the U.S. state of Louisiana. Necromancy Necromancy is a magical practice that allows a witch to contact, control and even revive the dead. While most witches who practice Necromancy are known to channel Dark Magic, it is known that a witch can use any magic of their choosing to practice Necromancy. Representational Magic Representational Magic is a magical practice which use representative objects to manipulate reality. Its origins remain unknown however, they are shown to have existed at least as far back as 10th Century A.D. According to Sharon, Representational Magic is but one of the many branches of witchcraft and is popularly practiced by many of the witches in New Orleans. Usually, such spells use much more power than one realizes. It's also a very delicate magic that requires considerable concentration by the witch who practices it. One such use of Representational Magic is for the creation of a Chambre de Chasse. Shamanism Shamanism is a magical practice used by indigenous witches known as Shamans. Shamanism is described as a way of life, focusing on connecting with Nature and creation where interaction with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness is used to achieve divination and healing. Spell Casting One of the main components of witchcraft is the ability of witches to cast spells. Spell Casting is a power of Witches and witch-related species such as Siphoners, Witch-Vampire Hybrids and, possibly, Werewolf-Witch Hybrids to work magic through the recitation of incantations. This allows users to magically alter reality to a wide number of effects or to evoke forces to change their surroundings. Though this is an ability possessed by all witches, it can also be achieved through thoughts, gestures and rituals, although generally spoken. Spells are capable of producing a wide variety of effects, both harmful and helpful. They can produce physical or chemical changes in a person or object. They can also have profound mental effects such as altering memory, manipulating emotions, or causing magical compulsion (such as forcing someone to speak truthfully). Spells can manipulate other kinds of magic, such as binding (preventing the use of) a witch's powers, transferring powers between individuals or objects, breaking magical barriers, lifting or casting curses, protection from harm and range from healing to resurrecting the dead. Some spells require more than one witch to make them work in order to increase the amount of magic and therefore potential power available for the spell. One of the defining characteristics of a witch is their ability to cast spells; a "spell" typically being the word used to signify the means employed to carry out a magical action. A spell could consist of a ritual action, a set of words, a verse, or any combination of these. For reasons unknown, the majority of spells used by practitioners of Traditional Magic and Spirit Magic are spoken in an ancient language very similar to Latin, while the ancient witch Qetsiyah performed her spells in Aramaic (a language that originated from the Middle East). However, witches who practice other forms of magic have been known to use spells in different languages; for example, the French Quarter Coven, which practices Ancestral Magic, performs their spells in French or French Creole, while the Travelers typically perform their spells in Czech.